Social media activists have been accused of using Twitter to
“instigate public hatred and animosity,” according to
Turkish media. Police raided 38 addresses to locate the suspects.

The activists were arrested early Wednesday in the western city
of Izmir. Police said that their tweets contained “misleading
and libelous information,” state-run news agency Anatolia
reported. However, Ali Engin, an official from the main
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), said that they were
detained for urging people to protest.

Police tracked down the activists through their IP addresses, and
were reportedly able to locate most of them. CHP said that they
have sent lawyers to assist the arrested individuals.

The lawyers revealed to the media that police files on the
individuals included tweets about where to meet, about police
actions, and about the names of volunteer doctors and lawyers.

Earlier on Tuesday, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc
apologized for the treatment of protesters during riots that grew
out of a demonstration last Friday against the planned demolition
of Taksim Gezi Park to build a mall. The police use of teargas
and pepper spray to disperse protesters has been heavily
criticized.

Arinc said that the police’s actions were wrong, and that
security forces have been ordered not to use teargas except in
cases of self-defense. "The excessive violence that was used
in the first instance against those who were behaving with
respect for the environment is wrong and unfair. I apologize to
those citizens," Arinc said at a news conference on Tuesday.

After unrest began last Friday, tens of thousands of
anti-government protesters held demonstrations in Istanbul,
Ankara, Izmir, Mugla, Antalya, and many other cities and towns
across Turkey. At least two people were killed and thousands were
injured in the nationwide protests.

The demonstrations continued on Wednesday, with protesters
surrounding the offices of Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

Twitter and other social networks have played a big role in
helping demonstrators organize and share developments; the
Turkish media has been roundly criticized for failing to cover
the protests as they unfolded.

Prime Minister Erdogan has condemned social media’s role in the riots, singling
out what he called the “scourge” of Twitter.

“There is now a menace which is called Twitter," Erdogan
said on Sunday, dismissing the protests as being organized by
extreme elements. "The best examples of lies can be found
there. To me, social media is the worst menace to society."